I did

OK.

New York State just raised the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1.25 per pack. The average price for a pack will now be over $7.00, about half of that for state taxes.

Scumbags!!

Yes, and the fed chair said that we "may" be headed for a recession. MAY. Considering the article in my local paper that said that foreclosures in nearby Westchester County are up 80% (80%!!!) I'm glad that he thinks that we "may" be headed for a recession.

I loved hearing on the news as I was driving home that the stock market dropped yesterday on news that the Fed chairman said we MAY be looking at a recession. All of a sudden, because there's a label stuck to the economy people think its news.

FUCKING DOPES... wake up America, this has been coming for sometime now.

Even though I don't smoke, that's outrageous!!!

That's why politicians are coached to never use the "R" word, SC. It starts a panic and a loss of consumer confidence. Although it seems incredible at a time when many are working two jobs just to pay for food, housing and energy, it's actually smarter to NOT say it.

From our local news department:

A county commissioner from a neighboring county resigned as there is a current investigation into allegations that he had raped a man. There are no charges yet and he denies the allegations, but feels that the investigation poses a distraction that would prevent him from fulfilling the duties of his office.

It is also the home opener for the beloved Harrisburg Senators, the Double A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Over $8 a pack in Chicago.

Fine with me, I don't smoke.

Did anybody hear about the pregnant man in Oregon?
Pregnant man

PROSECUTORS in the Neil Entwistle murder trial have requested the financial records from a gambling website where Worksop-born Entwistle lost 'hundreds of dollars' in the month before his wife and baby's death.


A seven-page report from prosecutor Michael Fabbri has been sent to the British territory of Gibraltar requesting all the financial documents for a European website called Casino On Net.

Reports claim that the prosecution wants the records to help prove that Entwistle's financial problems led him to shoot his wife Rachel, 27, and nine-month-old daughter Lillian on 20th January 2006 in their Hopkinton home in America.

Casino on Net is run by a company called Cassava Enterprise Ltd, which is based in Gibraltar. In the letter, Fabbri states that Entwistle, 28, opened the gambling account on 15th December 2005 - a month before the murders.

The prosecutor claims Entwistle lost hundreds of dollars that month, which Fabbri said is key evidence in building the motive for the murders.

In the letter, Fabbri says: 'The prosecutor needs records relating to this account to help establish that Entwistle had financial difficulties and that these difficulties affected his state of mind and provided him with a motive to commit murder.'

Court records suggest that the financial details have not yet been sent to the district attorney's office.

Entwistle is accused of shooting and killing his wife and daughter. Authorities say he stole a gun from his in-laws' home and used it to shoot them in their bed.

They say he then drove back to his in laws' house, returned the gun and flew to his parents home in Worksop, where he was later arrested and extradited to Massachusetts.

Entwistle told authorities he discovered his wife and daughter's bodies at their home, considered killing himself, but could not go through with it. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and the illegal possession of a firearm and is being held without bail at the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge, America. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Entwistle's trial is scheduled to begin 2nd June in the Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn, America.

http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/Prosecutors-seek-Entwistle39s-financial-documents.3949433.jp

Serious Stuff:

TORRINGTON, Conn. -- A wild turkey literally crashed a meeting of the Warner Theatre board of directors, officials in Torrington said.
The turkey came crashing through a second-floor window Thursday afternoon at the Mertz building on Main Street.
The 1-year-old male sent glass shards crashing to the sidewalk and then got trapped inside the building and slammed against another half-inch thick picture window, frantically trying to escape.
Marvin Maskovsky, who was leading the meeting, said the bird was not injured, just agitated. He says theater staff called animal control, who spent a half-hour removing the turkey.
Tony Bonacassio, the animal control officer, captured the 18-pound turkey to release it in the woods.

Amazing stuff. But the person did not convert to a man completely, biologically speaking. So it may be not be a miracle after all.

I agree it's no miracle. The miracle will be if the baby does not require decades of psychotherapy in his or her life.

I've been wanting to return to Cooperstown ever since I went in 1994 to watch Phil Rizzuto get inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Might take my daughter there one weekend this Spring and bring my nephew, too. He's 13 now and would probably have an absolute blast!

Aside from that...am watching a truly surreal movie on IFC about former Gong Show host & creator, Chuck Barris. Wow...what a bizarre life!! (Although if you think about it...a mind with enough imagination to create 'The Dating Game' and 'The Gong Show' among others, could probably come up with an 'autobiography' like this one with very little effort.)

Cheers,
Apple

This is in yahoo, so it has gone beyond my neck of the woods :

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080405/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_retreat

The courthouse steps on which Barzini was shot made the news today. Apparently a car ran out of control and climbed some of the steps, injuring a few people. Here's an excerpt from the story:

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Updated Friday, April 11th 2008, 11:29 AM

Emergency workers have freed a man pinned under a car that smashed into the steps of the state Supreme Court building in downtown Manhattan.

The car went over the sidewalk, hit a coffee cart and went up several steps before hitting the man. Two other bystanders appear to have minor injuries.

The coffee vendor suffered minor injuries. The driver, his passenger and two other bystanders also were hurt.

The victim was pinned from about the mid-chest down and had blood on his face.

The dazed driver lay on the sidewalk after being removed from the car, which has a smashed windshield.

The late-model Nissan was heading north on Centre Street when the accident occurred shortly before 11 a.m.

A radio report of the story added that there were bagels EVERYWHERE after the car hit the coffee cart. Gotta love that in-depth coverage.

UPDATE:

The good news- The county commissioner is vindicated on the rape charge. The man, who accused him of rape, has been charged with filing a false report to law enforcement.

The bad news- The county commissioner was able to prove his innocense by revealing a system of hidden video cameras in his home used to record his weekly trysts with paid, male escorts, who were unaware of the cameras. He produced the film showing that the act with the accuser on the day in question was consensual. He can expect other charges to be filed.

damn I didn't think I saw any cameras there

An ex-soldier who killed his aunt,uncle and 2 cousins in cold blood recieved a life sentence. The judge said he should serve no less than 15 years and if his mental problems are not solved may spend the rest of his life inside

"no less than 15 years"

"may spend the rest of his life in jail"

Is British justice for real?

This lunatic surely must never see the light of day again and he can stuff his human rights up his ass!

My friend Reesey R.IP. it was awhile ago when he died but he was a top lad.

FAULTY brakes were to blame for the accident that caused the death of a Worksop soldier in Iraq.

Sgt Wayne Rees, 36, died on 7th January last year whilst commanding a Scimitar armoured vehicle in the Maysan Province of Iraq when he was involved in a road accident.

At Nottingham Coroners' Court, it has been revealed that the armoured vehicle Sgt Rees was travelling in had faulty brakes. And although Sgt Rees was aware of this, he declared it was fit to use.

During the inquest it was heard that the wrong brake fluid had been put in the vehicle. Despite the mistake being recognised and the fluid flushed out, this wasn't enough to make the brakes work effectively.

"Rees' vehicle problems were identified before 7th January and was acted on on 4th January at the vehicle check," said assistant deputy coroner Catherine Mason.

The accident happened on a mission heading 10km west of Al Amarah.

Witness, Sgt Stephen McCabe, speaking at the inquest, said the vehicle Sgt Rees was travelling in was checked only four days before and in his opinion should have been taken off the road.

An opinion upheld by the assistant coroner: "The vehicle should have been immediately taken out of service for the parts to be replaced."

"I've heard evidence and it should not have been left to the driver or the vehicle's commanding officer to make the decision on whether to keep using the vehicle."

At the time of the accident the driver was George Rowlands. He described what happened moments before the crash.

"Rees was shouting 'brake, brake' and I was shouting 'I am breaking.'"

"This was the last thing I remember."

"If it had been taken off the road then this would not have happened."

It was explained that the vehicles are checked every seven to 10 days with spot checks in between.

"We would never push the boundaries of safety to achieve a mission," said another witness, Cpt Oliver Church.

Sgt Rees' fiancee and sister were in court for the hearing.

In her narrative verdict, the assistant coroner concluded that she would be writing to the relevant authorities to make sure that this doesn't happen again.

"It is a sad and tragic loss," she added.

The former Hartland school pupil, who grew up in Manton, left behind his fiancée Jayne and his two children, Charlotte, 11, and Elliott, seven.

At the inquest opening back in January last year, it was revealed he had died of acute asphyxia.

"Sgt Rees was travelling in a Scimitar military vehicle which was second in a convoy of military vehicles," coroner Dr Nigel Chapman said last year.

"At about 3.45am the first vehicle stopped suddenly and the second vehicle tried to stop but because of the wet conditions it lost control and overturned."

Those inside the Scimitar became trapped in the muddy water and Sgt Rees drowned. Dr Chapman added that no enemy action had been involved.
http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/Latest-on-Worksop-soldier-inquest.3958117.jp

Very sad news. It's a tragic loss.

Thanks kly he was a top lad

Always a shame to lose a friend Chops!

My sympathies

Some sad news from my neck of the woods:

The son of a local judge was killed on his first day of work in an industrial plant when he was pinned between two pipes that crushed him. He died while being lifelined.

I've known this judge since I first started practicing law and he was a criminal defense lawyer. During the Gulf War in 1990, his wife, who was a medical technician in the Reserves was called up and he was left with his 4-5 young kids, ranging from 9 to 2. He and I were co-counselling a preliminary hearing with 2 defendants when the call came in that his wife had just landed in the local airport after 6 months. Needless to say, the hearing was continued as he rushed to get his kids out of school and the daycare, and get to the airport.

Awww, Klyd. That's so sad. Geez, on his first day, no less.

What a horrible way to die, klyd. I can't even imagine what his parents are going through now.

My sympathies to the family Klyd. That is tragic.

Shit, that is bad

The details are sketchy, but I found out it was his 19 year old son. I don't see this judge often, but I'm going to attend the viewing.

Yikes, sorry to hear that, Kly.




Now for some lighter news...


CROWN POINT | A load of human feces spilled on to Indiana 55 at Greenwood Avenue in Crown Point about 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The semi-truck driver Matthew Ferrell told Crown Point Police he was hauling treated human feces from the Portage Water Recycling Plant. The spill closed northbound and southbound Indiana 55 at Franciscan Drive and Burrell Drive for clean up.

Ferrell did not have paperwork for the load and was issued a citation for the unsecured load by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The Crown Point Fire Department, Lake County Hazmat and the Indiana State Police responded to the spill, then cleaned and reopened the roadway.